How to hire a special collections librarian

How to hire a special collections librarian, step by step

Here's a step-by-step special collections librarian hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a special collections librarian job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new special collections librarian
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a special collections librarian job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a special collections librarian, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a special collections librarian to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a special collections librarian that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of special collections librarians.

   Type of Special Collections Librarian	Description	Hourly rate
   Special Collections Librarian	Librarians help people find information and conduct research for personal and professional use. Their job duties may change based on the type of library they work in, such as public, school, and medical libraries.	$17-37
   Librarian	Librarians are trained in the field of information science so they can assist people in search of information. They direct and develop information systems and programs for the public... Show more	$18-35
   Research Librarian	The primary duty of a research librarian is to assist scholars, students, and other researchers in finding books and other study materials. Research librarians handle integrated library systems such as serials control, acquisitions, and cataloging... Show more	$16-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Accounts
   • Collection Development
   • Outbound Calls
   • Problem Accounts
   • Collection Efforts
   • Reference Assistance
   • Reference Services
   • OCLC
   • Cataloging
   • Payment History
   • Marc
   • Payment Arrangements

   Responsibilities:

   • Achieve proficiency cataloging electronic materials (audio records, video recordings, and streaming video) and continuing resources/serials.
   • Check in new journals in the database.
   • Provide reference and interlibrary loan services and instruct users on use of computers, database tools for research at the library.
   • Coordinate and prioritize cataloging and metadata for SC materials.
   • Achieve proficiency cataloging electronic materials (audio records, video recordings, and streaming video) and continuing resources/serials.
   • Collaborate with other IRC staff on special projects, publications and research for members, leaders or HQ staff.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your special collections librarian job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A special collections librarian salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, special collections librarians' average salary in arkansas is 44% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level special collections librarians earn 53% less than senior-level special collections librarians.
   • Certifications. A special collections librarian with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a special collections librarian's salary.

   Average special collections librarian salary

   $53,149yearly

   $25.55 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level special collections librarian salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing a special collections librarian job description

   A special collections librarian job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a special collections librarian job description:

   Special collections librarian job description example

   RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   The key responsibilities of the position are to:
   
   * Support the collection needs and resources that bolster the clinical, educational, and research missions of the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences schools, centers, and institutes.
   * Understand and keep abreast of trends related to scholarly communication, publishing, copyright, emerging information and data sharing, and funders mandates in the health sciences.
   * Represent the health sciences on university-wide collections groups, providing input and advocating for the discipline-specific resources required at an academic health center.
   * Conduct continuous evaluation, obtain and utilize metrics, usage data, and other assessment criteria to support data-driven collection development.
   * Work collaboratively with health sciences and sciences librarians to advance expertise and depth of knowledge of specialized collections. Write and disseminate updates on a regular basis.
   * Work closely with RBHS library users, librarians, and staff on questions about publishing, including manuscript submissions, navigating copyright policies, and complying with open mandates.
   * Participate in library planning, committees, and task forces, and engage in campus, regional, and national professional organizations, and collaborative activities. May represent Rutgers to state, national, and international organizations.
   * Curate and manage a health sciences e-book list for use by educators and students.
   * Serve in select liaison activities such as outreach and instruction on collection and scholarly communication-related topics.
   * Regularly participate in virtual information services including Chat and Ask-a-Librarian; and provide consultations to users on the use of specific resources.
   
   This position is a member of the Rutgers University Libraries Faculty, a team of librarians committed to providing first-rate public services to a diverse academic community that collaborates with colleagues across the libraries to enhance the effectiveness of library services to the University community. Reporting to the AUL for Health Sciences Libraries, this librarian will be based at the George F. Smith Library of the Health Sciences on the RBHS Campus in Newark, NJ. This is a tenure-track faculty position, requiring publication, research, and active participation in professional associations. This position may require working evenings and weekends.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find special collections librarians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any special collections librarians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level special collections librarians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your special collections librarian job on Zippia to find and recruit special collections librarian candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit special collections librarians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new special collections librarian

   Once you've found the special collections librarian candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new special collections librarian. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a special collections librarian?